The 264 Era - Remembering a Grizzly (page 2 of 2)

Cubs

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The arrival of 264’s first pair of cubs was a big event in Yellowstone. They were active and curious. Countless park visitors were able to see 264 and her cubs doing all the things bears do. In June of 1997, one tourist got an unexpectedly close view when he approached a cub and stroked it on the butt. 264 saw this and charged the man. Fortunately for both parties, 264 stopped abruptly in front of him, made some threatening gestures, and took her cub away. The petrified man was able to continue his vacation, hopefully a little wiser from the experience.

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I have been told that grizzly bears less than eight years old have poor luck keeping cubs alive amid the many dangers they face. Unfortunately, this proved to be the case with 264’s first two pairs of cubs. None of them lived to see their first birthday. At least two of the four died as a result of attacks by male grizzlies. The others died of causes unknown. They were simply there one day and gone the next.

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Thankfully 264 was older, wiser, and bigger when her third pair of cubs arrived. They were often visible along the roadway, and for two successive summers park visitors were treated to the sight of the three bears. Then, as is common, 264 and her cubs separated during their third year together. The surviving offspring are not as visible as their famous mother, but they still roam her territory in Yellowstone. 

The End of an Era

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I last saw Bear 264 in June of 2003 when she bounded past me, not 30 feet away, as I was looking for something in the back of my vehicle. She seemingly came from nowhere, ran for a distance down the road, then across a big meadow. Within a few minutes she was out of sight. She had no cubs this year, but everyone hoped for a new set in 2004. A few days later, at about 6:30 PM on Saturday June 14, 2003, Bear 264 was struck by a motor home and severely injured. At 4:45 AM on Sunday morning, she was euthanized at a veterinary clinic in Bozeman, Montana, ending the twelve year life of the most famous wild bear in Yellowstone. As a motel sign in Gardiner Montana stated, we will miss her.

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Copyright 2003 Dean M. Chriss

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